Good Time: The Lost Chapters
by Double Helix Nebula
Summary: Ideas and extras that I couldn't fit or were too mundane to put into the original 'Good Time' story. Check out the original as well! Modern day AU
1. (AUS) Coffee Shop

AN: Chapter codes are as follows;

(AUS) indicates the story is based around Lena and Andrew  
(ZUR) indicates the story is based around Angela and Hanzo  
(ALL) indicates the story contains all four

* * *

Outside, the weather was rather crummy. Over the past week, Austin had been seeing cloudy weather and then thunderstorms and then back to cloudy weather again. Right now, it was raining. Some cars passed up and down the soaked and partially flooded roads. Pedestrians outside were clinging to their umbrellas or scrambling their way inside a building or to their cars. The sound of rain was actually rather pleasant with a distant rumbling indicating an oncoming storm. It was all rather peaceful, actually. Inside a small coffee shop, Lena and Andrew found a small round table to sit at while they waited for their orders to be brought out to them. They had met up there after both had been hard at work; Andrew had just gotten back from Dallas doing collaboration work with his friends in the band Polyphia while Lena had just gotten back from the gym, being there from a recording studio doing some voiceover work earlier.

"Whoo, there's a storm brewing out there for sure." Lena said as she ran her fingers through her rain-soaked hair, fixing it up best she could.

"Yeah. I'm ready for it to go away." Andrew said as he rolled his shoulders and neck.

"Anyway, how was your day, love?" Lena asked as she motioned Andrew to bring it in.

"Good. You just come from the gym, babe?" he asked as he looked her up and down, noting her gym attire consisting of leggings and a tank top.

"Sure did."

Andrew came in and the two hugged and kissed each other before taking their seats across from one another.

"So anyway, how was your day?" he asked.

"Ah, you know." Lena said as she shrugged her shoulders, "Voiceover work. Not always the most exciting work, but still fun."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I prefer acting work since I can be more animate and, let's be honest; I just like being in front of a camera."

"Hah. Yeah, I know." Andrew chuckled.

"What was it for?" he asked, "Or can you not talk about it?"

"No, I can say." Lena shook her head, "It was just some commercial spots."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

There was then a bout of silence between the two as they just kind of relaxed into their seats and stared at the rain and life outside the window. The sound of the rain and distant rumbling thunder was just kind of nice; the ambient noise inside the cafe wasn't too overbearing either. There weren't too many people inside.

"Lena?"

"Andrew?"

The two piqued up when they heard their names being called by the baristas and they raised their hands. The baristas brought their drinks as well as the food they ordered over to them and then went back behind the counter; Andrew ordered a cheese danish while Lena ordered a croissant BLT sandwich.

"Can you believe it's going to be Christmas in a couple days?" Andrew said as he picked up his fork and knife and began to cut up his danish.

"I know. Another year, come and gone." Lena said as she fiddled with her sandwich before taking a bite out of it.

"I'm glad we get to spend it together this year though." Andrew mused as he stuffed a square of cheese danish into his mouth.

"Mmmhmmm." Lena hummed, nodding her head in agreement as she chewed on her food.

She swallowed what she had in her mouth before addressing him further.

"Yeah, I'm really happy too. This is the first...I think this is the first Christmas we've spent together since we hooked up, yeah?"

Andrew's eyes looked around the room in thought as he pondered the thought before looked back at Lena and nodding his head.

"Yeah, actually, you're right. This is the first Christmas we're going to spend together. Holy shit."

"I mean, we're always so busy around this time of the year. I think the year we got together, I went back to London for the holidays…" Lena mused.

"Then I was in California for my grandfather's funeral the year after that."

"Right. Then last year I was in Hawaii shooting for Hawaii Five-O and you were in...Japan with Genji, Hanzo and family, right?"

Andrew nodded his head, "Yeah. Damn. For some reason, I thought we've spent a Christmas together before but now that I think of it, yeah, we've been so busy. This is the first year since getting together that we'll be home with each other."

Lena shook her head and blew her bangs up.

"Well damn, it's a long time coming." she said before taking another bite from her sandwich.

Andrew looked over and smiled at her as he reached across the table and placed his hand on top of her free one, brushing the top of her hand lightly with his thumb.

"I'm glad that I can finally have this holiday with you, Lena." he smiled.

Lena looked over at him from her sandwich and smiled back at him. She swallowed before answering him.

"Awww. Me too, babe." she said, tuning her hand over so that she could grip his hand, "I'd kiss you, but my mouth is all mucked up with food particulate now."

"Yeah, try not to kiss me with that mouth right now." Andrew said, shaking his head.

"Whatever." Lena chortled as she rolled her eyes and retracted her hand.

Andrew chuckled as well as he went back to eating his food and drinking his coffee. There was another bout of pleasant silence between the two as they enjoyed their food and drink. Finally, Andrew broke the silence.

"So, just out of curiosity; do you celebrate Christmas for what it's really for or do you just quote-unquote 'celebrate' it as just another festivity in the year?" Andrew asked.

"Well, me personally, I just celebrate it as another festivity in the year. I don't celebrate it as the birth of Christ, though a lot of my family does." she told him.

"Yeah, same here. Not really religious, as you know."

"Mmm." Lena hummed, "I mean, I used to go to church with family back when I was younger, but it was more something that I had to do rather than something that I wanted to do."

"I feel that."

"Though I will say, when you go to some of the older churches, like Canterbury Cathedral or something, these churches that have been around since medieval times, they definitely put on a really good show. And the energy is pretty neat as well." Lena explained to him, "Personally, I don't think you have to be religious to appreciate that kind of stuff, know what I mean?"

"Yeah, totally. I'm the same way." Andrew said, "When I lived in the Bay Area, I would usually go to the mission in San Juan Bautista since it was an older mission to see the mass there. I didn't like Santa Clara because it was too new, even though it was closer. Didn't have that cool old energy since it was rebuilt a bunch of times. Well, more than SJB was, anyway."

"Did your parents make you go? Or…?" Lena asked him.

Andrew shook his head, "No. My parents were areligious themselves. Or Buddhist at best but that's a major stretch to say. I went on my own since I was just curious. Though I'd love to go to a proper Christmas mass at, like, the Vatican or something. That would probably be pretty awesome; standing in St. Peter's Basilica."

"Oh, let me tell you baby…" Lena started.

"Did you go to one?"

"Uh-huh. With some Italian friends when I was staying over there. This was when I was like, 16 or something." Lena told him.

She took a sip from her coffee mug before continuing, "Coolest experience with Christmas mass I've ever seen or experienced. Would do it again if I could."

"Well maybe we should make it a point to do that together one year." Andrew suggested.

"Yeah, we should. I'd love to." Lena said, "And we could make a trip out of it while we're there."

Andrew nodded his head in agreement with that.

"That's funny though; that you went to Christmas mass even though you're not religious. And I did the same thing." Lena mused.

"Yeah, I thought I was really weird for doing that but the fact that you did it…"

"I learn something new about you every day, love."

"You complaining?"

"Absolutely not. I love it."

"Good."

They then went back to picking at their food and drink for a little longer.

"So...like, what is your worst Christmas memory?" Andrew asked her.

"Worst Christmas memory?"

"Yeah."

Lena sucked in a long breath as she thought about that before snapping her fingers when it came to her.

"Ah, that's an easy one, actually." she said, "I think I was about...gosh, I had to be like 7 or 8 or something?"

Andrew nodded his head as he watched her.

"Anyway, I really wanted an N64…"

"A Nintendo 64?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah." she nodded, "So anyway, earlier on in the year, Ocarina of Time had come out and I played it on a friend's system and I wanted it so bad."

"Oh, hell yeah! That game was the shit!" Andrew exclaimed.

"Still is." Lena said.

"Oh, absolutely!"

"Anyway, so that year, I asked my mum and dad to buy me an N64 and Ocarina of Time, and they seemed like they were going to do it. I was really stoked because in my mind at the time, I was like 'oh, I'm totally getting the N64 and Ocarina of Time'."

"So did they get it for you?"

Lena held a finger up so she could finish her story.

"Fast forward to Christmas time. We have the tree up and there's presents under the tree. One looks like the exact size of an N64 box and I was so happy. I actually went and picked it up and it felt heavy enough, so I thought to myself, 'this is it! This is my N64!' and I was so eager to open it. So on Christmas day, as me and my brother were opening gifts, I decided to savour it and open the big box last." Lena explained.

She had to pause a moment to catch her breath with a sip of coffee. She set her mug back down before continuing her story.

"So as I was ripping open the other boxes, they were like, you know, typical gifts that you don't really care for. I mean, I got some cool stuff like I remember I got Pokemon Red and Super Mario Land 1 and 2 for my Gameboy and I was super happy about that. But as my presents began to dwindle, I noticed that I didn't get Ocarina of Time. So I thought to myself 'oh, it's probably in the box with the N64' because I think they were doing a system bundle at the time if my memory serves correct...or was that Majora's Mask?"

Andrew thought on it then shook his head since he didn't know.

"Well, anyway, I thought and sincerely hoped that Ocarina of Time was in the box with what I thought was an N64. So I grabbed the box, excited to get my N64 then ripped the wrapping paper and...it was a plain white box. I remember my heart dropping for a second but then it came back up slightly and I thought 'they must've put it inside this white box to trick me. So I opened it up and what was inside? Was it an N64? No. It was fucking a box of assorted clothing."

"Awww nooooo." Andrew laughed as he shook his head, "Nooooo."

"I know, right?! I was so shattered, I began crying and ran off to my room because I was so hurt,"

"Noooo. That's fucked up."

"I know. I still bring it up from time to time in jest." Lena chuckled, "But anyway, yeah, that was my worst Christmas ever."

"So I'm assuming you got it eventually."

Lena nodded her head, "Tchya. But like, years later when the N64 was nearing the end of its life and could be had for cheap and I still had to buy it with my own money that I saved from my birthday and Christmas. Fucking sucked, but getting to play Ocarina of Time was worth it, I guess. I always thought it was kind of fucked up that I had a PlayStation long before an N64. But better late than never, yeah?"

"Yeah, especially with that game."

"And fun fact; to this day, Ocarina of Time is still one of the only games that I have ever beaten and the first game I had ever beaten. As you know, 99% of games I buy, I never finish. But Ocarina of Time was an exception and I actually played the game until the end. That's how awesome it was."

"Damn." Andrew nodded, 'Yeah, that is a pretty fucked up Christmas."

"Tchya." Lena said before leaning back in her seat, crossing her arms as she looked at him, "What about you? What was your worst Christmas?"

Andrew chuckled and shook his head, "Well, it's somewhat similar to yours in the sense that I thought I was getting something but got something different but not as bad as yours, especially looking back retrospectively. It just sucked to me, at the time, as a young kid without perspective."

"Well?" Lena said, "Spit it out, love."

Andrew rolled his neck and shoulders before getting to his story.

"So this happened when I was 10 years-old and when I was living in Thousand Oaks. It's like an hour, a little less than an hour, away from LA." he said, setting up the scene, "So anyway, I really wanted to go to Disneyland for their Christmas stuff, and just like you, my parents really made it seem like we were going to go. But what happens?"

"What?"

"We end up going to Universal Studios instead."

Lena made a face, "Oh. Well that's not a bad substitute."

"No, I know that _now_ , looking back on it." Andrew told her, "But in the moment, I was so hurt that we were going there instead of Disneyland. And I was all pissed off and crying about it. I mean, like I said, I was 10, so I was a little shit and didn't know any better. If that were to happen to me now, I'd be like 'oh, well, fuck yeah'."

"Right."

"But, you know, little kid, had no perspective." Andrew said.

"Oh. Well, yeah, it wasn't that bad. Did you have a good time?" she asked.

"Yeah, as time passed on, I warmed up to it and had an okay time."

Lena nodded her head. They then went to finish up their food and drinks and then relaxed back in their chairs, staring at the rain outside, not really speaking any words to one another, just enjoying the other's presence. The baristas came by after a while and took their empty plates and cups and pulled the two from their trance of looking at the outside world. They thanked them as they took their empty dishes and silverware before looking at each other, nodding.

"You wanna go?" Lena asked.

"Yeah, let's go home."

They stood up and got their jackets back on and Andrew grabbed his umbrella.

"What do you want to do when we get home?" Andrew asked her.

"Have you seen 'Deadpool'?" she asked.

Andrew shook his head 'no'.

"No, but I wanted to." he said, "Just couldn't find the time when it was in the cinema and then you know me; I'm not one to sit and watch a movie."

"Well, the Blu-Ray was on sale at Target, so I picked it up. Wanna watch it? Maybe order a pizza and have a dinner-movie date night?"

"That actually sounds really fun."

Lena beamed a smile at him. They then exited the coffee shop, bidding farewell to the staff as they exited. Once outside, they stood underneath the canopy as the rain poured around them. Lena zipped up her jacket all the way before looking at Andrew, who was opening up his umbrella.

"Did you park far?"

"A little. At the garage down the street."

"Oh."

"Why, did you need a ride to your car?" he asked.

Lena shook her head at that, "No, just curious. I parked right over there." she said, pointing at her blue VW Golf R.

"Oh. Didn't see it." Andrew chuckled.

"Well, I'll meet you at home then. Drive safe, love." Lena said, getting on her toes to give Andrew a kiss.

"You too." he said, reciprocating her kiss.

"Did you want a ride to your car, love?"

"No, it's alright. I'll just walk."

"Suit yourself."

With that, the two went their separate ways to their cars. Lena dashed out to her car while Andrew strolled down the street to get to the garage where he parked in. Both were eager to get home after their long days.


	2. (ZUR) Tuesday Night

Angela looked at her watch to see how late she was going to be as she stopped at the traffic light. It wasn't a question of 'would' she be late, but rather 'how' late she was going to be. She mentally kicked herself for the nap that she had taken. This was the first date night they've had in well over a month and she was late.

 _Hey, you alright?_ _You're running unusually late..._

Angela bit her lower lip as she went to respond to his text.

 _ **I'm sooooo sorry, schatzli! I fell asleep for too long! I'm making my way over as fast as I can!**_

"So much for 'rest my eyes for a few minutes'..." she muttered to herself under her breath as she hit send.

The response came almost immediately.

 _It's fine, hun._ _Don't go Speed Racer and fly over here._ _I know how you can be._

 _ **I won't!**_

That was a complete lie. The light had turned green when she hit send and then she nearly dropped the clutch in her haste, making her wheels spin out until she let off on the throttle so the tyres could gain grip before shooting off. A couple hours back, she had been at home cleaning after a long day at first the clinic then the hospital. Being completely exhausted, she plopped down on the couch, set an alarm on her phone and then decided to 'rest her eyes' for 15 minutes. The problem was, she was so tired that she slept right through the alarm and it eventually turned itself off. She eventually woke up on her own but almost two hours later. In a frenzied panic, she showered and got ready in less than 10 minutes and almost slipped twice in the shower. She also nearly tore her sapphire blue dress from trying to put it on so fast and merely put her still-moist hair in a loose bun, foregoing any make-up because of lack of time.

And now, she was almost sure she was going to get a traffic citation for speeding. If the visual of her red '14 Audi S4 flying didn't give it away, then the sound of her engine roaring and the whining of the supercharger would; the tach needle was bouncing off the red before she shifted gears. But getting a ticket was the last thing on her mind at that moment in time. She just wanted to get to the restaurant as soon as she could. She chewed on her lower lip and let off the throttle a little when she looked at her speedo; she was going well over the speed that would see her put in prison for a year if caught. The thought of that was enough to make her let off the throttle and slow down. Not so much because she didn't want to go to prison, which she didn't, but rather the thought of not being able to come home to Hanzo every night and fall asleep in his warm embrace. That was a death sentence for her.

It wasn't too much longer before she flew into the car park of the restaurant that she was supposed to be at some time ago. Luckily for her, there was an open spot nearby and she jetted into it. She checked herself in the mirror to make sure that she didn't look like a total wreck before taking in a huge breath and then getting out of her car, closing the door and pressing the lock button on the key fob around 15 times to really make sure the car was locked since she knew that she was prone to forgetting to lock the car when in a rush. Luckily, the somewhat many times that she had forgotten to lock the car, nothing happened as Zurich was a safe place but she always had that mentality of 'the one time I'm lax about it is the time that my car will get broken into'.

When she made her way into the restaurant, she relaxed even more as the dimly-lit and upscale restaurant was rather inviting. She inhaled and exhaled another breath to calm her down further as she was approached by a server.

" _Hello, ma'am. Do you have a reservation?_ " he asked her.

" _My boyfriend is waiting for me somewhere...ah, there he is, I see him._ " she said.

He nodded his head and let her go make her way to the table that Hanzo was sitting at. His back was facing towards her, so he didn't see her making her way to the table. She placed her hand on his shoulders, making him jump a little as he turned around. He looked her up and down for a moment before loosening up after identifying that it was Angela and not some random person who was bothering him.

"Ah, you scared me." he said as he stood up.

"Sorry, _schatzli_ , I didn't mean to." Angela giggled.

"Glad you could finally make it." Hanzo said as the two hugged and shared a kiss before he motioned her to sit across from him, which she did before sitting back down himself.

"Did you order already?" she asked him as she opened up her menu.

Hanzo shook his head, "No, not yet. I was waiting for you."

"I'm sorry for making you wait. I forgot to set my alarm when I took a nap. I hope you weren't waiting too long." she apologised to him.

"It's alright. It gave me more time to work up an appetite." he chuckled as he opened up the menu and began to look over it himself.

"How did you get here?" she asked, "Walk?"

"No, Frederick dropped me off." he responded.

Angela nodded her head at that, finding a few choices on what she wanted.

"So I assume you kept yourself busy today, yeah?" Angela mused aloud as she began debating between three different items.

"Today was alright. I wasn't slammed at all, if that's what you mean. Spent a couple hours at a coffee shop just down the way talking to Genji who just got back to LA from Japan the night before to see family." Hanzo replied, also deciding between two different items on the menu.

"Ah. So how was his trip?"

"It was good, or so he said. He was just relieved to be back in LA. Also said that he's thinking about visiting us out here maybe in the next month or so."

Angela closed her menu and looked over at Hanzo when he said that.

"Well that's wonderful! It would be great to see him again. When did he say he was coming?" she asked him as she relaxed back in her seat a little more.

Hanzo also closed his menu as he had also decided on what he wanted, facing her.

"Well it was just a thought that he had. He didn't say that he was actually coming, but he said that if he were to come then it would probably be in the next month or so. He said he'd keep me in the loop about it."

"Oh, I see." she responded, "Well I hope he ends up coming here. I'd love to see him again."

"Yeah, me too. I haven't seen him in almost a year."

"Holy shit, has it really been that long?" Angela asked incredulously.

Hanzo nodded his head and looked up as they were approached by their server and proceeded to place their orders for their food and also ordered a bottle of wine. Once the server left to fetch the wine, Angela faced him again.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know. I knew it had been a while, but it wasn't until we were talking and he said that it had been over a year since we'd seen each other and I was like, 'wow, really?'."

"That's crazy!" she exclaimed, "Then that means it's been just a little over a year since I've seen him because last time he came he was only here for three days and I was at a WHO event in Geneva then and didn't get to see him."

Hanzo nodded his head at what she said. She just shook her head at that, in disbelief at how long it had been since she'd seen him. The server came back with their glasses and a bottle of wine, popping the cork and pouring their glasses before placing the bottle in the middle of the table and leaving them be. Hanzo picked up his glass and then held it out to her.

"Well, cheers." he said.

"Cheers, _schatzli_."

They clinked their glasses together and then took a sip of their wine, both being impressed by it.

"Mmm, this is pretty good." Angela mused aloud.

"Yeah, it is." Hanzo said, picking up the bottle and reading the label, "I bet I can get Genji to pick up a bunch of these since it's made in Sonoma."

"Isn't that further north of LA?"

Hanzo nodded his head, "Yeah, it's in the Bay Area, but he spends a lot of time there so I could just ask him next time he goes there to stop by Wine Country and pick up some bottles." he said as he pulled his phone out to take a picture of the label.

"Yeah, you should do that if it's not too much trouble for him."

"Mm-hm." he hummed as he sent a message to Genji with the picture of the wine along with a message requesting it and other varieties next time he goes to the Bay Area.

One he finished sending it, he looked up and saw that Angela was staring at him with a dreamy look, wine glass in one hand and her head resting in the other.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked.

Angela shook her head at that.

"No, I'm just staring at you." she told him softly, "You look so dreamy in this lighting."

Hanzo scratched his cheek at that, fighting back a slight flush of his cheeks.

"Ah...uh...well...thanks…" he mumbled.

Angela just giggled and took another sip from her wine glass. He looked off to the side, his nerves slightly acting up. He was always so surprised that this woman could still trip up his nerves even after being with her as long as he has, and usually over the most simple of things like a comment or a simple gesture like making him coffee in the morning. He definitely felt it was a very good thing, but it always did catch him off guard. That was not something he could say about any other woman he's ever been with. Right on time to help break up his tense nerves, the server came back with their food. After setting their food down and making sure the two were squared away, he left the two to eat. They began to dig into their food, staying silent at first. Hanzo eventually broke the silence, looking over at Angela.

"So, uh, how was _your_ day today?" he asked her.

She swallowed what was in her mouth and took a sip of wine and returned his gaze.

"Oh, the usual day at the clinic for me." she said.

"Was it?"

"Well...I did have this one client today…" she started, letting her voice trail.

"Go on…" Hanzo said, drinking more of his wine.

"Well he...well, first, promise me that you won't get upset if I tell you."

"Why, did he touch you wrong or something?"

"Mm-mm." Angela hummed, shaking her head 'no'.

"Alright, well then I probably won't get upset then."

"Okay, well, so I have this one client, we'll just call him 'Thomas'." she started.

"Okay." Hanzo said as he picked up the bottle and filled both their glasses with wine.

"So Thomas has been a patient of mine for the past 6 years or so since he has chronic issues and I knew that he always had a bit of a thing for me."

"Naturally." Hanzo mused as he placed another forkful of food into his mouth.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

"I said 'naturally'." Hanzo repeated with his mouth full, taking another sip of wine to wash it down.

"No, I know what you said but what do you mean by 'naturally'?"

"Well, you said that he had a thing for you, right?"

" _J_... _ja_ …?" Angela said carefully, not sure what he was implying.

"Yeah, naturally. As in, of course he does. Why wouldn't he?" Hanzo explained, "I mean you're drop-dead gorgeous and down-to-earth so you're not like a supermodel kind of 'hot who seems so unapproachable. I mean, I'm sure they're really nice and all but they don't give off that vibe. You, on the other hand, are like this older, gorgeous, mature woman who gives off a really calming energy, like you're easy to talk to. Which you are. Like you won't be judgemental or bitchy if someone were to start a conversation with you, which you aren't."

Angela's face was slightly agape and beet red when he said that to her.

"Ah...ahhh…" she stuttered.

"You alright, hun?" he asked with a slight grin.

"I...uh...I...yeah...uh...yeah, I'm fine." she stuttered, finding the colour of the wall really intriguing.

It was safe to say that just like how Angela made Hanzo choke up from time to time, Hanzo also made Angela choke up from time to time and over the most simple of things. Perhaps that was why their relationship was so solid; there really was not a deep level of 'status quo' where they were just used to the other person completely.

"Well?" Hanzo said as he nudged her with his foot under the table.

"Ah...hm? What is it?" Angela responded, jumping a little, her face still a little red.

"So what happened to 'Thomas' today? You never did finish your story."

"Oh...uh...yeah...right." she muttered, stuffing her mouth with food and wine a moment.

Hanzo watched her as she chewed her food and drank her wine. Once she had calmed down enough to gain control over her words again, she swallowed her food, patted her lips with her napkin before facing him again.

"Well anyway, so I saw him today and after 6 years, he finally decided that he wanted to try to ask me out." Angela told him, "It was kind of cute; he waited until I was done and asked me out with a rose when I was closing up the clinic but I of course told him that I was happily taken."

"You should've told him 'yes' and then during the date say 'so, by the way, I'm already taken'." Hanzo joked.

" _Schatzli_! I'd never! That's so cruel!" she exclaimed, kicking him from under the table.

Hanzo just laughed at that.

"I know, I know, I'm just kidding, hun, relax." he laughed as he reached under the table and rubbed his shin.

She just shook her head and said something in German that he didn't understand. He just laughed and went back to eating his food.

"Anyways, after I got home I took a nap that was obviously too long, and now here I am." she told him.

"Nice."

At this point, they were a good ways done with their food. They spend the rest of the meal in relative silence, just exchanging light pleasantries. More than anything else, they were just enjoying being in each other's company. The silence, while to others may seem somewhat uncomfortable, was actually rather comforting for them. They decided to skip dessert as they were pretty full after the meal and just worked on finishing the wine.

"What are you up to tomorrow?" Angela asked lazily as she held her glass tilted so the liquid was right at her lips.

"Full training day tomorrow. So I have to go to sleep early tonight." he told her, "You?"

"I'll be in the OR all day." she mumbled, sipping more wine, "Two back-to-back. One right after the other. Lucky me."

"What, you don't like cutting people open anymore?" Hanzo joked.

"No, I like it too much and I want to do it more, that's the problem." she said in jest.

"Hah!"

They finished up their wine and then after paying for their meal, they decided to get out of there. Angela was stumbling a little so she grabbed onto Hanzo as they exited the restaurant and made their way back to her car.

"Hey baby, I'm feeling a little buzzed. Could you drive?" she said to him as she held her keys out to him..

"Of course." he replied, taking the keys and bringing her to the passenger side, opening the door for her and getting her situated.

"Thanks _schatzli_." she said, pulling him down for a quick kiss before letting him go and closing the door for her.

He got in on the driver's side and then adjusted the seat so he wasn't jammed up against the steering wheel and adjusting the rearview so he could see. After making sure everything was in working order, he started up the car, waited a few moments for the RPM to drop and then they were off. The ride back home was quiet; both of them were rather tired. Hanzo just concentrated on the road while Angela stared out the window, watching the city pass by. Once they got home, they headed inside and Angela went to take a shower while Hanzo headed into the kitchen to prepare his meals for tomorrow since he would be at the gym and range all day. Once he was finished, he placed the containers in the fridge and then headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower himself. When he finished, he headed into the room, seeing that she had already passed out long ago. He fixed the blankets on her as she had been too lazy to properly tuck herself in and then with that, he turned the lights off, set the alarm on his phone and plopped down in the bed himself. He found that sleep came really easy for him.


	3. (AUS) Genji's Vlog Pt 1

Angela inhaled deeply before letting out her breath slowly as her eyes slowly fluttered open. The first sight that she was greeted with this morning was Hanzo sitting upright in the bed, a pillow on his lap and his laptop on top of the pillow. Her gaze turned more upwards to look at him and saw that he was smiling and holding back laughing, earbuds stuffed into his ears.

' _What is he watching?_ ' she wondered.

Right when she wondered that, Hanzo let out a quiet laugh as he smacked his thigh from how funny it apparently was. Angela let out a small 'hah' as she propped herself up onto her elbow and looked at him. It was then that Hanzo noticed that she was awake and then he looked at her, pulling his earbuds out of his ears and pausing the video.

" _G_ _u_ _e_ _te morge_. I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked her.

Angela shook her head 'no'.

"Oh, alright."

"What are you watching, _schatzli_?" she asked him.

"Just a vlog Genji published not too long ago." he responded truthfully.

"What made it so funny?" she asked as she brought herself to sit upright and scoot against Hanzo, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder and looking on the screen.

"I mean, it's not really that funny, I just laugh at stupid things. I'm easily entertained." Hanzo admitted.

"You and I both." Angela giggled, leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Here, let's watch it from the beginning. I didn't even watch it to the end yet." Hanzo said as he grabbed the TV remote on the night stand next to him and turning on the TV.

He clicked a couple buttons on his laptop so that he could stream the screen to the TV. Angela turned her head to the TV as Hanzo got it working, making the video full-screen and then restarting it back to the beginning again before hitting play. It buffered a moment before beginning.

* * *

Genji adjusted the camera a moment before extending his arm out and getting himself into view.

"Hey YouTube, what's going on? Genji here and...what? Where am I? This isn't my apartment!" he exclaimed.

He looked around, feigning confusion.

"In fact, I don't even look like I'm in LA! Where...where am I?"

He walked out of the room that he was in and then out into the living room where Lena was in the background, trying to organise some cables.

"What? Who the hell is...who the hell is this?!" Genji said as he made his way over to her.

Lena piqued her head towards him when he said that and then her face brightened up when she saw that he was filming a vlog. She stood up straight and dusted herself off as she waved to the camera. Genji placed his arm around her shoulders and got both of them in frame.

"Who the hell is this?"

"Hiya, guys!" Lena beamed.

"Lena, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I dunno. I just kind of float around, I suppose." she giggled.

Genji laughed as well as he let his arm fall from her shoulders and then moved away, letting her get back to work. The video made a jump cut to just a few moments later as he's beginning to make his way out of the house.

"No, but in all seriousness, what's going on guys, it's Genji and I'm here in sunny Austin, TX right now visiting family and making a new video for my main channel that I think you guys will like. At least, I hope you will." he said as he winced slightly.

The video made another jump cut; now he was standing in front of the front door.

"So anyway, I'm just visiting my cousin for the weekend and shooting a video for the main channel. In case you guys didn't know, my cousin, Andrew, did sound work for Overwatch and he also happens to be together with Lena. A funny story that I can tell you guys some time if you want." he explained, "Leave a comment below if you want me to share how they got together."

He opened the door and walked outside, spinning around to show that it was clear and beautiful outside.

"So I've been wondering how I wanted to shoot the video for the main channel for a while now and it was a problem because I was thinking of all these different scenarios and different ways that I wanted to do it but the problem was that all of the ideas that I was thinking of were going to take a lot of effort. More than I was willing to dispense for what it was. So I put the project on the back burner for quite some time. Probably well over a year now since I first came up with the idea." Genji explained to the camera.

The footage then jump cut again and this time, he was standing in the driveway and then stopped, spinning around so that the sun was not blacking him out.

"Then I got a text from Andrew saying that their lease at their apartment had just expired and that instead of renewing it or finding another apartment to live in, the two got a really good deal on a house really close to the downtown area. He showed me a few pics of the place and it was then that everything just kind of clicked in my head." he said, "I told Andrew about the idea, he loved it and then told Lena, she loved it and then after some conversation back and forth about how we could proceed with the idea that I had, I bought a plane ticket and flew out here to Austin a week later."

Genji had began walking down the street as he continued to ramble on.

"So actually, as of right now that I'm recording this, I'm actually getting ready to fly back to Los Angeles tonight. Filming has already completed and I'm heading back now to make edits and such and by the time you're all watching this, the video on my main channel will already be up so of course, the link to the video will be in the description box below. But yeah, today's my last day which is a little sad. You know, I mean, I had a lot of fun here over the weekend; this place is great and I've thought about moving here at least a few times. It still might be something I do in the future but for the work I do, staying in LA is the best course of action for now. Seriously, if you've never been to Austin before and you've been curious, come here. Chances are that you'll probably like it a lot. Anyway, I have most of my trip on video which I'll be showing you after this."

He then stopped at the roundabout and stood on it as cars passed him by.

"But anyway, it's time for me to go back home. Time for me to say goodbye to Andrew and Lena and time for me to say goodbye to Austin." he said, "I will admit that I'll be quite happy to leave the humidity behind. That has to be one thing that I don't care for about this place; it can get really humid which makes it feel even hotter than it is, and it can get hot here and unlike in LA, it doesn't really cool down at night. At least during the summer. It just kind of drains you. At least, it drains me when it gets too humid. I become really lazy. But it was actually really nice this past weekend that I was here. It was perfect weather for filming and I'm really proud of how the footage came out. I hope you guys enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it."

The video made another jump cut and he was beginning to walk back to the house.

"So anyway, I think I'll stop talking now and show you my trip as well as some extra footage from when we were shooting the video for my main channel. Hope you guys enjoy and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!"

He flashed a peace sign to the camera before bringing his finger up to cover the lens and black the video.

The video transitioned to a title card that said;

 _ **FRIDAY (Day 1)  
**_ _ **I'm Going To Austin!**_

The first few moments of the clip, Genji was fiddling around with the camera, muttering under his breath; something about wondering if it was recording or not. The video then jump cut to a proper angle.

"Hey YouTube, Genji here. And today, I'm going on a trip!" he exclaimed, "Yes, that's right, I'm going to Austin, TX for the weekend to visit family and to shoot a video for my main channel. What kind of video you may ask? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!"

The video cut to him going through his bags.

"So...I'm just finalising everything before leaving. I already have all of my clothes that I'll need but I'm trying to decide how much equipment that I want to take with me. I can't take my full rig, but I want this video to come out really good so I'm kind of wondering just how much I need to take."

The video cut again.

"Now I know what some of you are going to say; _take a camera and a mic, Genji! Duh!_ " he said in a mocking tone.

The video cut to him walking out of his room and down the hallway.

"Yeah, no shit, smartass. I got _that_ much figured out." he said, "But what I'm wondering is; which camera do I want to take and if I want to take more than one. Same with the mic situation; which one and how many."

He plopped himself down on the couch, relaxing back into it a bit and running his fingers through his hair.

"I think I'll take three cameras and two mics; the mics aren't as important as the video. I may even take only one mic and take four cameras instead but...yeah...still trying to figure it out..." he mused aloud, "It just all needs to fit in my carry-on because there's no way I want to check in a bag for a weekend trip. But it's not like I have a lot of time left to make that call; my flight leaves in 2 hours. Whoops."

The video then cut to him standing over his bags, looking over them somewhat distraught.

"Well anyway, I'm going to try to figure this situation out and I'll get back with you guys later."

When the video made another jump cut, he had his bag and locked his front door.

"Alright, it's time to go to the airport! That freaking bus better not be late..."

The video cut to the bus stopping to the side of him.

"Late...but I'm still good."

The video cut again and this time Genji was standing in the middle of the crowded bus, staring straight-face into the camera as two children were crying loudly in the background and their parents trying to calm them unsuccessfully; a caption at the bottom of the video said '*It was like this the whole way*'. He held his straight face for a while before shaking his head 'no'. The video cut again and he was getting off the bus, the children still crying in the background.

"I'm glad _that's_ over."

When the video made another jump cut, he was standing on a moving walkway in the airport.

"Hey guys…" he was suddenly cut off when a couple brushed passed him.

He looked at them as they passed by after accidentally bumping into him and not apologising. The video cut again to just a few seconds later.

"That was awkward." he said, "But anyway, hey guys, I'm here at LAX now and my flight leaves in like...30 minutes?" he said as he looked at his watch, "Yeah, about 30 minutes. So I made it just in time. Security shouldn't take too long to go through. I don't see any lines at the checkpoint. But...you never know with the TSA. They might decide that they want to strip-search everyone and hold up a 10-person line for 4 hours."

The video cut and showed him placing all of his things into the bins at the checkpoint, including his shoes. It cut again when he was on the other side, getting his shoes back on.

"I'm glad they didn't find that bomb that I hid in my shoe." he joked, making sure not to say it too loud as to not be pulled aside.

It cut to him walking towards his flight gate.

"You know, I never really understood the whole 'you can't bring liquids' on the plane. Or rather, their method of disposing of offending liquid containers because you actually _can_ bring liquids on, but they just have to be purchased after the checkpoint. But think about it; if you have a bottle of water or whatever and they decide that you can't bring it with you; well okay, fair enough, but then they throw it away in a trash can next to them, along with all of the other potential bombs, in the most crowded part of the airport. American logic. As Hana would say; GG, TSA. GG."

At this point, the vlog transitioned to footage of the airport and of the planes outside as well as him sitting at the gate waiting for his flight to be called. The 45 second-long montage had some royalty-free music playing in the background, which faded out as it transitioned back to normal footage.

"I think they just called my number. Time to get on that plane!" he said, "Austin, here I come!"

The montage then resume, showing him going though the process of getting on the plane, finding a seat and then resumed to real-time again as they were going through the safety lecture. When they explained the use of the seatbelt, Genji raised his hand.

"Excuse me!" he called out, "But do I place the small metal flap into the buckle or do I place the buckle over and around the small metal flap?"

The flight attendant looked at him, slightly confused.

"I am a simple man; I do not posses an engineering degree nor am I mechanically inclined."

The whole plane sans the attendants burst out in laughter. The montage resumed yet again of footage on the flight and then of them landing in Austin at night time. The montage came to an end as Genji made his way out of the plane, through the airport and to the pick-up area.

"Holy shit it humid as fuck here!" Genji said.

He looked around, trying to find Andrew but couldn't find him anywhere. The video cut ot him sitting on a bench.

"This is so like my cousin to keep me waiting like this..." Genji mused aloud.

The video cut again. Genji walked up to a blue VW Golf R, the window rolling down and revealing Lena.

"Heya!" she exclaimed as she waved at the camera.

Genji got up and walked over to the car, pointing the camera inside.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he said.

"I'm here to be your chauffer for the evening!" Lena replied.

Genji brought the camera back up to get him into frame.

"Psh. Tracer? My chauffer? Puh-lease."

"I can always leave you here." came Lena's voice jokingly.

"Please don't do that."

The video cut to him placing his bag in the backseat and then getting in the passenger side, closing the door and then letting out a breath. The video cut once more as they were riding down the motorway. He held out the camera so both him and Lena were in frame.

"Hmmm. Should I trust a speed-loving cocky Brit as my chauffer? In the driver's seat?" Genji joked.

"You what, mate?" she responded suddenly, looking into the camera in a goofy fashion.

Genji burst out laughing at that. The video cut once again and he was straight-face. Lena looked in her mirrors before pushing in the clutch, dropping two gears, rev matching and then speeding off down the empty motorway. The engine roared as both of them got pushed back into their seats as she accelerated and jostled around slightly when she shifted gears. She stopped accelerating and then looked at the camera with a straight face.

"120." she said deadpan.

"WHOO! FUCK YEAH!" Genji exclaimed as he pumped his fist.

The video cut again and they were travelling normally down the motorway now.

"So what's up, Tracer? How have you been?" he asked, "Or should I call you Lena? What do you want me to call you?"

"Do I look like I'm going to stick your arsehole with some grenades and teleport away with magic clock stomach?"

Genji burst out laughing again and the footage cut once more to when he calmed down.

"But no, really, how have you been? I haven't seen you in what feels like forever."

"I know, right? It's been quite some time." Lena said, "But I've been great! I'm staying plenty busy if that means anything. Especially now that Andrew and I bought a house."

"Yeah, so how'd that all come about anyway?" he asked.

"Well I mean, it was a rather straightforward series of events. Essentially what happened was that our lease was set to expire and we didn't want to renew because they were going to raise the rent quite substantially." she explained, "So we started looking around for a new apartment to live in but then Andrew got a call from a friend's father who's a real estate agent and told him that he had a house for sale really close to downtown going for a really good price and was going to let him take a look at it first before putting it out on the market."

"That was nice of him. I didn't know they could do that."

"I don't know if they're able to do that either but he did. So anyway, we went and looked at the house and just fell in love with it. It's an older house so it needs some work but that was also why we got such a good deal on it." she said, her eyes not leaving the road, "But the real deal was the fact that it's so close to downtown. Like, if it wasn't as close as it was, even for the price we got it for we probably wouldn't have bought it just because it is an older house and it needs a lot of work. We're thinking about our options and if we want to keep it as is and just fix it up or add on to it or gut it and rebuild the inside or even possibly just tearing it all down and rebuilding the whole thing. We're weighing our options and probably won't make a decision for quite some time since they're all kind of expensive options."

"Do you think you'll actually end up wrecking the current building and making a new structure?" Genji asked.

"I don't know. Possibly. We have a lot of lot space that's unused and we'd love to have a bigger house and a smaller backyard than what we currently have and the way the house is set up is a little...I don't know...unoptimised? It's the best way I can describe it. You'll see what I mean when we get home." she said, "Of course, we could always gut the interior and then add on to what's already there but the cost to do that might be equal to, more than or not much less than if we just demolished the building and start from scratch. Because also, the house is old so some of the materials might need replacement too so...yeah. It's a lot to think about. That's why I say any major decision is a long ways out. Because Andrew was talking for a while about moving back westward to Nevada or Arizona before we bought the house so I don't know if he still wants to do that and we'll just rent the property? We _did_ buy the house outright in cash so it's not like we have a mortgage. But I just don't know and won't know for a long time. We have a lot of options to weigh."

"He's thinking about moving to Las Vegas?"

Lena shook her head, "No, if it was Nevada it'd be in Reno/Sparks. He hates Vegas. And honestly, so do I. It's only fun for a few weekends a year and that's about it."

"I guess there's no easy decision, huh?"

"Nuh-uh." Lena hummed as she shook her head.

The video jump cut.

"So where the hell is Andrew? He was supposed to pick me up!" Genji told her, "The _ahou yarou_ left me stranded!"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" she asked.

"He didn't tell me shit!"

"He had some unexpected things happen at work so he had to stay extra late so he told me to pick you up instead. I'm sorry if that disappoints you." she said sarcastically at the end.

"You damn right that disappoints me."

"Deal with it."

"Ouch."

The video cut again after they parked and were at the house. Outside, there was a BMW E46 M3 parked outside and the lights were on inside.

"Looks like he's home." Lena mused.

"Go inside and tell him you couldn't find me." Genji told her.

Lena giggled and agreed and then the two of them made their way up to the door. Lena pulled her keys out to unlock the door while Genji hid on the side. She opened the door and walked in.

"Hey baby!" Lena exclaimed.

"What's up, babe?" he said.

There was some silence before Andrew broke it.

"Where's Genji?" he asked casually.

"Oh, I couldn't find him." Lena said equally as casually.

"What? What the hell do you mean you couldn't find him?" Andrew asked, bewildered.

Genji was holding back laughing so hard.

"I mean that he wasn't there and I couldn't find him." she told him, "But I got something in the car that's a little heavy, could you go out and grab it for me?"

"Wait wait wait. You went to pick up Genji, and he wasn't at the airport?" Andrew said, "Why didn't you call him or me? Why did you just leave? What if he's still there?!"

"He's not. I didn't see him." Lena responded.

"That's my cousin you just left there! What the fuck, babe?! What do you mean 'you didn't see' him? We have to go back!"

"Will you calm down baby?"

"The hell you mean 'calm down'?! You just left my family stranded at the airport! How the hell am I supposed to be calm?!"

"Can you just go outside and grab what I have in the car? Please?"

Genji heard Andrew sigh in frustration as he stormed out. Genji prepared to jump and when Andrew came out the door.

"For fuck's sake…!" Andrew mumbled under his breath.

Right when he came out, Genji jumped out and roared at him. Andrew cried out and jumped to the side, nearly falling over from being scared. Genji began bursting out laughing as did Lena.

"That's for not picking me up!" Genji laughed.

"Genji?! Holy shit! You scared the living piss out of me!" Andrew said, shaking his head.

He lightened up, laughing a little and shaking his head.

"I think I need to change my pants now or something, goddamn!" Andrew chuckled.

Lena laughed as she came outside and into frame, wrapping her arms around Andrew and hanging off of him.

"Oh my god, babe, you should've seen your face!" Lena laughed.

The three of them laughed it off. When they calmed down, Andrew broke away from Lena and gave Genji a hug.

"It's good to see you, cuz." Andrew said.

"Same to you."

They broke away and then Andrew held his hand out to his bag.

"Want me to help you with that? Are you hungry?"

Genji shook his head.

"No, I've got it. But some food sounds nice. I _am_ a little hungry."

"Hmm. Well, there's not a lot of good places open at this time that I can think of..." Andrew said, letting his voice trail as he looked over at Lena.

"Yeah, it's pretty much fast food or some diners." Lena said, nodding her head.

"You know what sounds good?" Genji said.

"What?" Andrew and Lena said at the same time.

"Whataburger."

Andrew laughed a little at that.

"Whataburger? Is that the closet Texan in you, Genji?" he joked.

"What can I say? It sounds nice." Genji admitted.

"Well luckily they're all 24-hour and there's one just down the street. It's walking distance so if you don't mind walking, we can walk there. Otherwise, we can drive."

"I don't mind walking."

Andrew nodded his head.

"Alright, let me get my wallet and we'll go."

"It's alright, baby. I'll get you." Lena told him.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks, babe. I'll get you next time." he said as he gave her a hug.

Genji pointed the camera at himself and did a little dance.

"We're going to Whataburger! We're going to Whataburger!" Genji sang as he did a little dance.

Andrew burst out laughing.

"What the hell was that?"

"What?"

The video jump cut to them walking down the sidewalk.

"It's kinda dark. I'm scared." Genji joked.

"There's nothing to worry about. This is a good neighbourhood." Andrew said.

"I don't know..." Genji mused, "Lena might need to stick some grenades in people's assholes."

Lena burst out laughing at that. The video jump cut again to them sitting at a table in Whataburger being served their food. Genji zoomed in on his tray.

"Mmmm. Can't wait to dig in!"

The video cut to after they were finished eating.

"All done!" he exclaimed.

The video jump cut and this time, Genji was in the guest room laying on the bed.

"Alright guys, that's it for today. I'm pretty tired so I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep." he said, "Something about air travel just sucks the life out of you, even if you're only in the air for 3 hours."

He yawned and stretched out before addressing the camera again.

"So anyways, that's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow for more, so stay tuned for that. Peace!"

He flashed a peace sign before bringing his finger up to the camera and putting it up against the lens to black out the video.


	4. (AUS) Memory

**Andrew's POV**

 _Being up in the morning is something I've always appreciated; it's waking up that I've always despised. Being up and awake before the sun? Wonderful! Transitioning from asleep to not-asleep? The bane of my existence. As my eyes fluttered open unwillingly from their restful sleep and consciousness began to set back in as well as my senses, I was greeted to the most amazing sight. The air was warm, sticky, as were we; Texas summers could get quite brutal at times and my AC? Not working at the moment. The repair crews said they'd fix it "by the end of the week"; that was last week. No matter, part of the charm of living in this vast and expansive state was suffering a little from the humidity and heat at times. Where's fun in perfect weather all the time?_

 _But I wasn't paying attention to any of that in this moment. In this moment, our clothes strewn around the bed, sheets and blankets kicked aside, the air heavy with the smell of sweat and sex, my head on your chest, a hand on your breast and your arms cradling me oh-so tenderly. This moment couldn't be more perfect. My eyes gaze upward and trace the sharp lines of your beautiful face and then it happens; I smile and for the first time in many years, I'm truly happy to be exactly where I am right at this moment. I close my eyes, inhale your sweet, feminine scent and snuggle into you just a little more._

 _Perhaps as a result, my mind wanders and thinks of the time wasted before this moment, here with you. Perhaps because of professionalism, perhaps because of your schedule, perhaps because of my schedule. Excuses, all of them. I know the real reason why it took me so long; it was fear. And not fear of appearing unprofessional, not from fear of being fired or let go, no, not at all. It was fear of inadequacy. It was fear of failure. Or maybe, just maybe, a fear of success. Because what if you_ did _like me? And what if you_ did _agree to go out on a date with me? Then what? Just the thought shook me to my core, at least subconsciously, because it meant that I had to change. Change the entirety of my being. No longer would I be able to sit home, playing Skyrim or whatever game interested me at the moment. No longer would I be able to never leave my apartment and just play and write music for days on ends, showers becoming a mere afterthought. No longer would I be able to lounge around with my guy friends, all of us sharing and commiserating in our seemingly perpetual singledom. No, I would have to change. I'd have to be interesting, dynamic. I'd have to be vulnerable. And the thought, to be frank, scared the fucking shit out of me._

 _But then, something changed inside of me. I'm not exactly sure what caused it, but another thought eventually creeped into my mind that shook me to my very core, a thought that made the fear of success seem like sunshine and rainbows. The thought of perpetual routine and mediocrity for the rest of my days. The thought that, if I stayed my then-current course, that on my deathbed, my question would be 'what if?' Oh how just the thought of it now sends a violent shiver down my spine! It was then that I made the choice, the conscious choice, that I would express how I really felt about you; decency, modesty and professionalism be damned! Because if there's one thing that I was tired of by that point in my life, it was that I was tired of constantly asking myself 'what if?' and hell would freeze over if I would allow that to be a question in my life any longer._

 _Ah, but was it easy? Of course not! Why, my heart nearly pounded out of my chest when I made that firm, resolute commitment! But I reminded myself of one thing that kept me on my new path; what is worse, trying and failing or never trying at all and spending your final moments wondering 'what if'? If my heart could pound any faster after that thought, it would've. At first, I thought of all of the grand ways that I wanted to express my love to you; flowers? No, too bland. A letter? No, too basic. Unscrupulously declaring to you 'I love you, my British cinnamon biscuit!'? No, too creepy. Not to mention a sure-fire way to get released from the project. I toyed with how to tone it down, what to do, with each iteration becoming more and more basic and watered down. And then, finally, I had it! I knew how it was that I would tell you that I loved you! I had it all planned and even rehearsed it a few times to make sure I would get it right._

 _But then, the moment came. There you were, standing there in all your beautiful, feminine glory, the vivid orange dress you were wearing hugging your tight and sharply-defined curves, smiling and laughing, speaking with that irresistable lilt in your voice that, for some odd reason, some found it nails-on-a-chalkboard-like. And then you spotted me. You waved at me and made your way over to say hello. And it just completely levelled me. Everything I thought I was going to say fell away like a cheap suit and I was left at ground zero._

" _Hey, Andrew!" you say cheerily, your arms coming out and enveloping me in a welcoming embrace, "It's great to see you again!"_

 _Your hugs were always warm and welcoming and your beautiful feminine spirit always shone through like a magnificent incandescent light. You were never shy to display your feminine energy to anyone. I always did love that about you. I smile and stutter and tell you how 'yeah, it's great to see you too' but like all women, you read my like an open book and noticed something was off about me. You took a step back and placed your hand on your hip and looked me up and down, a slight look of concern on your face._

" _You alright, love? You look like you've just seen a ghost!" you say, joking at the end to try to brighten up the mood and beaming a wonderful smile._

 _Our eyes connect and this time, it's different. I'm still not sure what happened, but you saw something in me, and it made you stop, and stare. And we stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity but was really only just a few seconds. But those few seconds was all I needed. And it was all you needed, too. A smile slowly creeps up my lips and I reach forward and gently touch your shoulder._

" _My, Lena. You look absolutely beautiful tonight. Look at you! Alluring orange dress, crimson red lips, golden heels. Thank you for that!" I say with a smile and wink._

 _And then, the shift happened. I felt it, you felt it; there was an electricity in the air, something that wasn't there before. The 'bass' in the club, if you will. Your look changed and your cheeks flushed. And believe me, after I said it, I was mortified. I mistook your flushing for embarrassment, for being upset with me. What possessed me to say these things? Stupid me! Stupid! But as I went to apologise for being so brash, you smile brightly at me._

" _Thank you." you tell me softly and with great appreciation._

 _What a relief that you're not upset with me! This, I wanted to scream out to you, but I needed to contain my composure, at least for the time being. This was a very delicate process and the room for error was enormous! I then offer my hand out, smiling with my eyes. You took my hand, graciously and stepped right up to me, looking up with a dreamy look in your eyes. I looked down into your eyes with an equally dreamy look._

" _I know you're leaving tomorrow evening." I say to her softly, "And I would love to spend every last minute that you're here with you. Let's go back to my place; I just got some really good wine!"_

" _What makes you think I'd say 'yes'?" you asked, "You want to just turn into lover boy just like that?"_

" _Ah, but you feel that in the air too, don't you? That_ je ne sais quoi _between us? That electricity?"_

 _You look down. You look away. You look around. You look back down again. You look to your friends, who were chatting away. Mentally, I'm screaming, crying, cowering in fear. My head was like an intense warzone. I wanted nothing more than to thrust you away, run off and cry and leave the project. But at this point, I just couldn't afford to listen to it anymore. I was just doing what came to me, whatever it was. And whatever happened would happen, period, consequences be damned. Then you look back up at me._

" _Yes..." you whisper._

" _I live just down the street, we don't have to go far." I say._

" _But...I have to be here for at least a few more hours." you protest, "And my friends. What of them?"_

 _Ah, yes, the party. I forgot what was going on before all of this. No matter._

" _I understand, and you're still invited." I reply simply._

 _You chew on your lower lip. God how sexy it is to see you do that! You are such a special catch._

" _Well...maybe..." comes your response._

" _I respect that. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me."_

 _With that, we break apart and you run off back with your friends. I watch as your hips sway and just let out a breath of pure admiration. And then you look back over your shoulder at me. And I look back at you. And you smiled. And then I did as well. And then you went back to your business. And then I did as well. Later, you asked me where I lived and I wrote it down and disappeared again. And then it got late and I decided that I'd had enough of this party and decided to go home._

 _But it was funny, because at that point, I was different. I went home happy, but not because of our interaction, but because...well...I felt that I did my job as a man. I showed up, I did my duty, and that whatever you did from that point on was not my concern. And that gave me a level of freedom and happiness that I've never experienced before; a freedom from the results. A true feeling of 'it is what it is'. And in some strange way, a feeling of abundance; like I could do that with any woman I fancied. And for the first time, I let go and let the universe do it's thing and decided I'd be happy no matter what, and I was. I did some chores around the house, singing to myself happily at my newly-found sense of freedom and then, a rapping on my door._

" _Ah, it's Trevor. He wants his guitar back." I say to myself._

 _I pick up his guitar, which I had already set out to be given back, and then open the door. But it wasn't Trevor, it was you._

" _Sorry I'm late." you apologise, "The photo ops and autograph sessions took a little longer than expected."_

" _It's no matter." I say, "Come in! Come in!"_

 _And you do. And we sit. And we drink. And we laugh. All the while, we're closing the gap until our thighs are touching. And then finally, you look into my eyes and I look into yours and the stars align and we shared an intimate, passionate kiss. Which turned into another, and another, and another, and another. Our hands explored each other and then we took it to the bed. And that was a glorious night for both of us, I know. Oh, my sweet, sweet Lena! My beautiful English Rose! My wonderful and amazing muse from across the pond! How I love you so!_

 _I'm pulled from my mentally induced high when I hear you let out a breath and shift your position slightly. My eyes meet yours._

" _Hey champ." you say sleepily as you lift your hand and stroke my face, an amatory smile on your freckled face, "You ready for round two?"_

 _Ah, women are such wonderful creatures._


End file.
